Astronomical clock



5, 1930. N. TOMASEVICH 1,770,820

ASTRQfiOII CAL -CL0CK Filed April 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1///L1// .i I, n

hmn'i' r4 z J l 15, 1930 N. TOMASEVICH ASTHONOMICAL CLOCK 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 2. 1927' Patented July 15, 1930.

UNITED STATES mesons TOMASEVICH, oacLEviiLAiwD, OHIO ASTRONQMICAL CLOCK Application filed April 2, 1827. Serial K0. 180,550.

frequently noticed as a clock, one of my ob-.

jects has been to contrive a construction which may be rather economically built and sold. Another object has been to design a re structure including separable major parts ada ted to be contained one within the other during transportation thereof. A further object in mind was the use of an electric lamp as a sun-representing object together with connections permitting energization of the lamp during its rotational movement.

It is to, be realized that the scope of my invention comprehends many equivalent constructions. The showing of the drawings and the particular description are merely s ecific exemplifications of a plurality of meclianical embodiments and arrangements.

Adverting' to the drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of an astronomical clock combining-my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section from front to rear, certain parts, however, appear in in elevation.

igure 4 is a plan section .on zi zag line 4-4 of Figure 3 showing two cloc mecha-.

nisms.

Figure 5 is a plan section on line 5-5 of imparting relative orbital movcshown in Figure 9.

Figure 8 is anenlarged fragmentary view of an adjacent portion of Figure 3.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary crosssection of a bevel ear constituting part of mechanism for causing the orbital movement of the planets of our universe about our sun.

Housing The hollow edestal 1 carries a hollow compartment 2, t e front side of which is provided with a transparent time clock door 3. Fitted in the bottom of the compartment 2 is a hollow structure 4 including insulating material such as rubber. It will be observed, that the upper surface 5 of the structure 4, slopes downwardly toward the rear or away from the door 3 and supports at a corresponding' angle a hollow casing 6. The plane of the bottom of the 'casin 6 is parallel to the ecliptic or that plane tirough the center of our sun which contains the orbital path of the earth, thereby teachin observers of my clock about the ecliptic. The top of the casing 6 is open and has detachably enclosing its rim a twqxpart ring 7. The attachment being effect by a series of circumferentially arran 'ed screws 8,as is illustrated in Figure .8. T e same'figure shows the enclosure by the ring 7 of the lower flared rim 9 of a glass dome 10. The dome 10 is additionally steadied and secured by engagement with a rub ber strip 11 therearound of a series of circumferentially arranged set screws 12, which areoperatively connected around the upper end of the compartment 2.

Clock mechanisms the interior of the rim of the casing 6, an

'annular' internal gear 13, which remains fixed. A bearing stud 14 projects u wardly from the center of" the casing 6 an has rotatably mounted upon it a structure 15, the annular 'rim of which is fashioned, on its lower side, as a bevel-gear 16, fragmentarily pinion 17 is in mesh with the gear 16 andiis driven by a separate astronomical driving clock 18, as ap ears in Fi ure 4. Time clock mechanism 19 includes "a s aft 20 projecting through a dial 21 and carrying, in front of the dial, an hour hand 22 and a minute hand 23. I would have it understood, that, while I have elected to show two distinct mechanisms, a single one might alternatively be employed. The structure 15 carries such astronomical bodies as it may be desired to have, with consideration of manufacturing cost, and hence the rotation imparted to the structure 15 imparts a revoluble movement to all of the bodies about the sun while the latter is rotated, as will be later described.

Calendar showing The dial 21 is provided, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, with an opening 24, and the outer annular face 25 of the spider 15 is provided with a suitably spaced row of names 26 of the twelve months of the year. The arrangement is such that the months will consecutively appear to view through the opening 24.

Astronomical body-carrying structure A center portion of the structure 15 is provided with a hole 27 and attached to the structure around the hole 27 are upstanding bosses 28, which carry a concavo-convex disk 29. Secured to the disk 29 and passing upwardly through one side thereof, is a peculiarly bent arm 30 which extends diagonally upward to be connected at 31 to a pin 32 swiveled at the zenith point of the dome 10. The arm then continues across to the opposite side where it is bent downwardly at to terminate as a depending stud 34. At one side of the structure 15, the right side as viewed in Figure 3, there is a thrust bearing 35, in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 35 carrying at its top the planet Venus. Keyed to the shaft 35 adjacent to the bearing 35 is a spur gear 36, which in Figure 5, as well as in Figure 3, is shown to be in mesh with the internal gear 13, so that when the gear 36 is revolved, as indicated by the long arrow in Figure 5, during the rotation of the structure 15 which carries it, the gear 36 will be simultaneously rotated in the opposite direction, as indicated by the short arrow thereon. The shaft 35 also has fixed to it a helical gear 37 in mesh with a helical pinion 38 which is secured to the lower end of a shaft 39, which is oblique with reference to the shaft 35 and is steadied, near its lower end, by fitting in a bearing 40. The shaft 39 constitutes the polar axis of the earth shown carried thereby. The upper end of the shaft 39 is guided in a bearing provided in the extremity of a bracket 41, the other end of which is pinned at 42 to the lower end of the stud 34. The shaft 39 projects above the bracket 41 where it has fixed to it a bevel pinion 43 which drives a bevel gear 44, which is a unit with another bevel pinion 45 and which unit is rotatable upon a pin 46 which is mounted in the interjacent part of the bracket 41. The pinion 45 drives a bevel gear 47, which is rotatably mounted on the stud 34. Attached to the gear 47 is a peculiarly bent rod 48, (illustrated in Figures 3 and 7), which, after extending laterally a given distance, continues obliquely downwardly and carries on its extremity a ball representing the moon. As will now be understood, the earth is revolved about the axis of the stud 14 and is at the same time rotated, which compound movement is, of course, similarly imparted to the planet Venus and at the same time the moon is caused to transcribe its relatively oblique orbit around the earth. It is evident that the speed of revolution and of rotation are selectable at will, but in order to have the movements of the planets perceptible I prefer to have them accelerated with reference to the true calendric cycles. As chosen for ex emplification, the earth will complete its orbit every ten minutes and will rotate twenty-one times during each orbital cycle and will rotate seven times for each revolution of the moon while the moon will make three revolutions for every revolution of the earth.

The structure 15 also carries at a point diametrically opposite, with respect to the thrustbearing 35, a similar bearing 49 in which is mounted the lower end of a rod 52, to which is pinned a gear 51 likewise in mesh with the opposite side of the internal gear 13. The upstanding rod 52 is appropriately mounted so as to rotate in the disk 29 and the upper end of the rod 52 carries a ball representing the planet Mars. The revoluble movement imparted to the gear 51 similarly causes it to be rotated to therefore effect the rotation of Mars.

It will be observed, that the planets Mercury and Saturn are attached to the arm 30 and that Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are connected to the head of the pin at the top of the dome. A plurality of other balls are interspered within the dome 10 and supported either by the disk 29 or by the arm 30. Such miscellaneous balls are all designated by the reference character a and may be considered as the asteroids between the earth and Mars. A few stars are illustrated and marked with the letter 8. Such stars may be either transfers or paper carried by the interior surface of the dome.

rlaz-iaiig located structure The center of the disk 29 carries a tube 53 fashioned above as an electric socket 54 for the detachable reception of av flame colored lamp representing the sun of our universe. Having the sun of my apparatus a source of illumination, constitutes one of the features of my invention by affording the possibility, when my clock is in a dark room, of showing eclipses. Wires 55 and 56 are electrically connected with the socket 54 and 35. EDUCATlON.

with the lamp and pass downwardly through the tube 53, thence in opposite directions through a bore provided in a block 57 which is mounted on the stud 14. The ends of the wires and 56 connect with terminals 58 and 59 respectively, the former of which is separately shown in Figure 6. Depending from and, of course, electrically connected with the terminals 58 and 59 are spring fingers 60, which terminate as contact buttons (31, adapted, during their revoluble movement, yieldingly to rub annular com'lucting elements 62 and 63 in two concentric annular channels (54 and ($5 respectively, which are formed in an insulating disk 66 fixedly carried by the stud ll. Screws (3T connect the conducting elements 62 and 63 with two wires 68 and 69 which pass through the bottom of the casing 6 and are appropriately connected with prongs 70 which contact terminals in the structure l which also serves as a socket. These terminals connect with two wires 71 and 72 which continue down through the pedestal 1 and connect at one side of the latter with a socket 73. This construction permits quick disconnection and reconnection of the electrical circuit to the lamp when the upper structure is removed or replaced.

Operation It is to be understood that if desired, the revoluble and rotating movements of the planets might be effected by an electric motor in substitution for the second clock mechanism. The relative position of the planets may initially be established in their true natural positions with respect to each other at any particular calendric starting time, so that when, for instance, the month of J anuary appears to view, the planets will appear in approximately their actual position. The sun-representing lamp would probably not be illuminating exceptat night or when my clock occupies a darkened room, so that the rays of light would supply the sole illumination of varying portions of the peripheries of the planets or if the moon happened to be behind the earth so that it would receive no direct light rays. I have thought my invention should commend itself especially for its educational value if exhibited in public buildings, notably, public schools and public libraries.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus including a hollow casing having a rotatably mounted structure, a bent arm projecting upwardly from said structure, clock mechanism carried interiorly by said support for rotating said structure. a planet-carrying shaft having opposite ends rotatably mounted on said structure and arm respectively, and mechanism comprising an internal gear within said support and gearing connecting said internal gear and shaft whereby the rotation of said structure produces rotation of said shaft.

2. In an apparatus including a hollow casing having a rotatably mounted structure and a glass dome mounted to extend there above, a bent arm projecting upwardly from one side of said structure and swiveled to the top of said dome, a plurality of planets carried by said arm. and means for rotating said structure, a shaft having its lower opposite end rotatably mounted on said structure and its upper end rotatably mounted on said arm, and mechanism whereby the rotation of said structure produces rotation of said shaft, a moon, and mechanism revolubly connecting said moon and shaft.

3. In an astronomical apparatus, the combination of a casing, a disk rotatably mounted in and adapted to close said casing. clock mechanism in the latter for driving said disk, a planet-carrying shaft eccentrically mounted on said disk, mechanism including a gear fixed to said casing and a pinion on said shaft and a gear in mesh both with the first mentioned gear and with said pinion whereby the rotation of said structure will produce a rotation of said shaft, and means for rotating said structure.

4. In an astronomical clock, the combination of a casing, an internal gear fixed thereon. a stud supported in said casing, a structure including an element rotatably mounted on said stud and fashioned with gear-teeth, clock mechanism for driving said structure. said structure also including a disk, and planet-carrying mechanism rotatably mounted on said structure and adapted to be revolved thereby, said mechanism including a gear in mesh with said internal gear whereby to be rotated during its revoluble movement.

5. In an apparatus having a hollow pedestal structure and a relatively tilted casing, a structure rotatably mounted in said casing for turning movement in an oblique plane parallel to the ecliptic. a sun-representing ohject co-axially carried by said structure. a shaft carrying a planet-representing object and eccentrically mounted in said structure and actuating mechanism including an internal gear on said structure and enmeshed gears carried by said casing and shaft respectively, said casing-carried gear meshing with said internal gear whereby the circular travel of the former causes its rotation.

6. In an astronomical clock, a rotatably mounted element, a bent arm projecting upwardly from one side of said element and then downwardlv on the other side thereof, a plurality of planets carried by said arm,

- clock mechanism for rotating said element. a

shaft having its lower end rotatably mounted on said element and its upper end rotatably mounted on the downwardly projecting extremity of said arm, and mechanism whereby the rotation of said element produces an independent rotation of said shat't, a moon, and structure at its center of rotation and means mechanism near the top of said shaft tor including aspring finger for energizing said operatlvely connectmg said moon with said lamp.

shaft.

7. In combination, a casing, clock mechanism mounted therein, an internal gear fixed interiorly to said casing, a stud, a gear rotatably mounted on said stud. clock mechanism for driving said gear, a disk rotatable on said stud, planet-carrying mechanism rotatably mounted on said disk and carried thereby, said mechanism including a gear in mesh with said internal gear and adapted to be rotated during its revoluble movement with said disk and moon-carrying mechanism mounted at an angle to said planet mechanism and rotated thereby. the relative angularity of said moon and planet carrying mechanisms being such that their planes of rotation bear the same relation to each other as those of the earth and the moon in the solar system.

8. In apparatus of the character described, the combination of a casing, a disk rotatably mounted therein, a bent arm projecting from one side of said disk, a plurality of planets carried by said arm and means for rotating said disk.

9. In apparatus of the character described. the combination of a casing, a disk rotatably mounted thereon. a glass dome carried by said casing, a bent arm projecting upwardly from one side of said disk and swiveled to the top of said dome, a plurality of planets carried by said arm and means for rotating said disk.

10. In combination. a clock mechanism, a structure adapted to be rotated about an oblique axis by said clock mecha-nisnna planet mounted to revolve with said structure about the same axis, said planet being mounted to rotate independently of said structure on an axis having a different obliquity from that of said structure, the relative obliquity of the two axes being substantially the same as that of the plane of the ecliptic to'that ot' the earths axis of rotation, connections between said clock mechanism and structure and planet for eliecting their rotational movement in timed relation. a transparent sun carried by said structure at its axis and rotatable therewith and means for illuminating said sun.

11. In combination, a clock mechanism, a structure mounted for rotation by said clock mechanism, a planet representing ball and its moon mounted dependently to rotate with said structure and having a second rotation independently thereof, said rotations being on oblique axis having substantially the same relation to each other as that of the plane of the ecliptic to that 0tthe earths axis of rotation, connections between said clock mechanism, structure, and planet, and means for effecting their rotational movements in timed relation, an electric lamp carried by said Signed by me, this 12th day of March, 1927.

NICHOLAS TOMASEVICH. 

